Zephaniah 3
1 Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Maye kowenyanyekayo longcolileyo, umuzi ocindezelayo!
2 She hearkened not to any voice; she accepted no correction; in the Lord she did not trust; to her God she drew not near.
Kawulalelanga ilizwi; kawemukelanga ukulaywa; kawuthembelanga eNkosini; kawusondelanga kuNkulunkulu wawo.
3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they leave not a bone for the morning.
Iziphathamandla zawo phakathi kwawo ziyizilwane ezibhongayo; abahluleli bawo bazimpisi zokuhlwa; kazikhukhuzi ithambo ekuseni.
4 Her prophets are thoughtless men of treachery: her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
Abaprofethi bawo bangabangakhathaliyo, abantu abakhohlisayo; abapristi bawo sebengcolise indawo engcwele, benze udlakela kumthetho.
5 The just Lord is in her midst, he will not do wrong; morning after morning doth he bring his justice to the light [of day], it never faileth; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
INkosi elungileyo iphakathi kwawo, kayiyikwenza ububi; ukusa ngokusa ibeka isahlulelo sayo ekukhanyeni, kayiphuthi; kodwa ongalunganga kazi inhloni.
6 I have cut off nations; destroyed are their battlements; I have laid in ruins their streets, so that none passeth through; their cities are wasted, without a man, without an inhabitant.
Ngiziqumile izizwe, izingonsi zazo zingamanxiwa, ngenzile izitalada zazo incithakalo, ukuze kungadluli muntu; imizi yazo idiliziwe, kakusekho muntu, kakulamhlali.
7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt accept correction; so that her dwelling should not be cut off, all that I had decreed to bring over her; but they rose up early, they acted corruptly in all their doings.
Ngathi: Isibili uzangesaba, wemukele ukulaywa; ukuze indawo yakhe yokuhlala ingaqunywa, konke engimjezisa ngakho; sibili bavuka ngovivi, bazonakalise zonke izenzo zabo.
8 Therefore wait but for me, saith the Lord, for the day that I rise up to the prey; for my judgment [cometh] to gather the nations, for me to assemble the kingdoms, to pour over them my indignation, all the fierceness of my anger; for through the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be devoured.
Ngakho ngilindelani, itsho iNkosi, kuze kube lusuku engizavukela impango ngalo. Ngoba isahlulelo sami siyikubuthelela izizwe, ukuze ngiqoqe imibuso, ngithululele phezu kwabo intukuthelo yami, konke ukuvutha kolaka lwami; ngoba umhlaba wonke uzaqothulwa ngumlilo wobukhwele bami.
9 Yea then will I change unto the people a pure language, that they may all call on the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord.
Ngoba ngalesosikhathi ngizabuyisela ebantwini ulimi oluhlambulukileyo, ukuze bonke babize ibizo leNkosi, ukuze bayikhonze ngahlombe linye.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush shall they bring my suppliants, even the assembly of my dispersed, as an offering unto me.
Kusukela phetsheya kwemifula yeEthiyophiya abancengi bami, indodakazi yabahlakazekileyo bami, bazaletha umnikelo wami.
11 On that day shalt thou not be ashamed because of all thy doings, whereby thou hast transgressed against me; for then will I remove out of the midst of thee those that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt never more be haughty again on my holy mount.
Ngalolosuku kawuyikuyangeka ngenxa yezenzo zakho zonke, ophambuke ngazo kimi, ngoba ngalesosikhathi ngizakhupha phakathi kwakho abathokoza ekuzikhukhumezeni kwakho; futhi kawusayikubuya uziphakamise entabeni yami engcwele.
12 And I will leave remaining in the midst of thee a humble and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
Njalo ngizatshiya phakathi kwakho abantu abahluphekileyo labangabayanga; bona bazathemba ebizweni likaJehova.
13 The remnant of Israel shall not do injustice, nor speak lies; and there shall not be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue; for they shall feed and lie down, with none to make them afraid.
Insali yakoIsrayeli kayiyikwenza ububi, kayiyikukhuluma amanga; njalo kakuyikufunyanwa ulimi olukhohlisayo emlonyeni wayo; ngoba bona bazakudla balale phansi, njalo kungekho obesabisayo.
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Hlabelela, ndodakazi yeZiyoni; memeza, Israyeli; thokoza, ujabule ngenhliziyo yonke, ndodakazi yeJerusalema.
15 The Lord hath removed thy punishment, he hath cleared away thy enemy: the king of Israel, the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.
INkosi isusile izahlulelo zakho, isixotshile isitha sakho; inkosi yakoIsrayeli, uJehova, iphakathi kwakho; kawusayikubona okubi.
16 On that day shall it be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [to] Zion, Let not thy hands become weak.
Ngalolosuku kuzakuthiwa kuyo iJerusalema: Ungesabi; lawe Ziyoni, kazingadangali izandla zakho.
17 The Lord thy God is in the midst of thee, the mighty one who will save; he will be glad over thee with rejoicing; he will be silent in his love, he will exult over thee with song.
INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho phakathi kwakho ilamandla, izasindisa; izajabula ngawe ngentokozo; izathula othandweni lwayo, ithabe ngawe ngokuhlabelela.
18 Those that mourn far away from the festive assembly do I gather, those that were separated from thee, [that have borne] for thee the burden of reproach.
Ngizababutha abadabuka ngenxa yenhlangano emisiweyo, bevela kuwe; ihlazo lingumthwalo kubo.
19 Behold, I will deal [severely] with all that afflict thee at that time: and I will save her that halteth, and her that was driven off will I gather; and I will render them a praise and a famous name on all the earth where they have been put to shame.
Khangela, ngalesosikhathi ngizakuba lokwenza labo bonke abakuhluphayo; ngisindise oqhulayo, ngibuthe oxotshiweyo; ngibabeke babe yindumiso lebizo kulo lonke ilizwe lehlazo labo.
20 At that time will I bring you back, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you for a name and for a praise among all people of the earth, when I bring back again your captives before your eyes, saith the Lord.
Ngalesosikhathi ngizalingenisa, langesikhathi engizalibuthelela ngaso; ngoba ngizalenza libe libizo lendumiso phakathi kwabantu bonke bomhlaba, lapho sengibuyisa abathunjiweyo benu phambi kwamehlo enu, itsho iNkosi.
